Drinking To Cope

Normal Day (Chapter 1)

With the light just barely peeking through his window, Claw opened his eyes. Like he always did, Claw was expecting total darkness. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up on the bed, feeling as though he had not slept at all. The time change from Norway to Salt Lake City was not something he was used to. His job had taken him to Salt Lake City, so he was no longer at home. He sighed while climbing out of bed, his rear beans touching the bare floor. It was cool, but it wasn't what Claw was expecting. He was used to extremely cold mornings, but this was bearable. Even so, it was unexpected.

He looked around his room; there were just a few boxes beside his bed. He had arranged his closet and cabinets a few days before, and he was relieved it was finished because he would not have to deal with it anymore. He touched his chest and found it bare; no, he was bare. It had become too hot for him, so he removed everything to keep himself cool, but it remained warm. He shrugged it off and grabbed a pair of grey silk boxers. He slipped them on as he walked to the kitchen; he was not in a hurry, just wanted to get there and make a few cups of coffee before relaxing.

He remembered how he had come here: the copper mining company for which he worked had brought him here to mine copper, taking advantage of the abundance. He also wanted to see other places. Sure, he visited parts of Sweden and Finland, as well as his home country of Norway, but he never saw anything else. He was too busy mining to go anywhere, and if he did, the company would take care of it. The only reason Claw-Chan was treated so well was his ability to detect copper from a distance and smell it when he got close. He was rarely mistaken about where copper was. He was paid a high salary because he was good at his job.

The job also helped him pay for the nice apartment he was currently living in; it was a little large for him, but he was not complaining. There were two other bedrooms besides the one he was in. He took the big one because he was the one who had gotten it and was the only one who lived there right now. He felt he deserved the large bedroom, partly because he felt selfish and wanted it for the space, bathroom, and closet. He knew he did not have many belongings to fill the room, only a few shirts, jackets, boxers, pants, boots, and two suits. He had other necessities, such as deodorant, cologne, and hygiene products. He also kept a picture frame of himself and his late girlfriend.

She was a good person in Claw's life, but he tried to convince her to love someone else. Not because he was bad, but because he was always working and could not love someone with his busy schedule. She began to lose her mind gradually. He repeatedly asked her to end their relationship for her good, but she refused. Claw noticed as she began dipping, but she continued to look at him with loving eyes. He knew he could not return the love; as much as he loved her, he couldn't.

Claw returned home late at night, around 3 a.m. He found herself dangling from a rope in the roof, her eyes wide open and bloodshot. He collapsed to the ground and cried for several hours. He apologized to the body repeatedly, but he knew nothing would change. He took out his phone from his pocket and slowly dialled 112.

Claw shuddered as he remembered that night. He saw his only partner fade away. He witnessed suicide for the first time, but he was not prepared to accept it. That night, he begged the authorities to help him, but deep down, he knew it was hopeless.

She had already died.

...

When Claw finished remembering what had happened, the coffee cup was already finished. His eyes were slightly watery, but he knew he was stronger than that. He knew Maja would not want him to do that; she knew Claw was strong, and Claw believed it.

He yawned as he walked up to the window after putting the cup in the sink. It was pretty close to the ground, which he appreciated because he was not used to climbing long stairs. Furthermore, he had to carry everything by himself, which would have been more work for him.